CHAIRMAN & TEAM SUMMARIES
for 2020/21 Season
NB: It is the policy of the Club NOT to publish names of children.
CHAIRMAN's YEAR REPORT
Dear Bluebirds Community,
I’m writing this with chants of ‘Footballs coming home’ still ringing in my ears after watching, on the TV last night, a masterful England beat Ukraine 4-0. What a performance! In the much-delayed Euro 2020 competition, the England squad is digging deep to make sure they play at their best and make their country proud.
In these strange times, I feel like we are all digging deep and dealing with the curveballs that have been volleyed at us since March last year. We’ve had another tough season, disrupted by COVID-19 and a brief scan down the ‘COVID news’ page on our Bluebirds website reminds me of how ‘start-stop’ the season has been, in light of the see-sawing guidance for grassroots football from central Government and the FA.
Our season started out well, with training and fixtures, albeit with social distancing restrictions on players, managers and spectators and the appearance of ‘QR’ codes at home and away. As the Autumn advanced, we grappled with ‘Tiers’ which made things increasingly uncertain for our football, then a second lockdown, followed, in January, by the third lockdown where grassroots football, along with many other elements of our lives, was put on hold for what felt like forever. We therefore started 2021 with no football and that’s the way it stayed for the early part of the year until, in March, training and friendlies were allowed to resume and in April, the Oxford Youth Football League started again in earnest. As I write this review, all the results of our season are still not in, because the season was extended so that those teams that wanted to (and felt safe to) could complete their fixtures.
Huge thanks have to go to Pete McAlister, who has acted as our COVID-19 safety lead on the Bluebirds Committee. As soon as the ink was dry on Pete’s risk assessments and advice to the Club and our wider footballing community, the rules seemed to change again and another version needed drafting. Many thanks for your resilience, Pete!
In March, we also took the very difficult decision to cancel, for a second year running, our Cholsey Bluebirds six-a-side tournament as we could not guarantee what the COVID-19 restrictions would look like in May and it would have represented a real waste of everyones efforts and Club resources if we undertook the considerable planning and preparation for the event, only to cancel at the last minute.
So our 2020/21 campaign has been a long one, seen through under extraordinary circumstances. I pay huge respect to all our players and their management teams for putting up with the downtimes and for the way they then leapt back into training and fixtures when the doors opened again to competitive football. Our players and managers have been nothing short of inspirational during these tough times and I am truly humbled to be at the helm of a Club with such enthusiastic, dedicated young (and some ‘less young’!) people who love their football with an abiding passion.
The Bluebirds have also seen some changes to our structure during the season. We are very proud to have supported a big increase in organised girls football over the past few years. At the beginning of last season, to help sustain this fantastic enthusiasm, we agreed a longer term vision to have a girls team at every age group throughout the Club. There is, however, so much of a clamour for girls football in South Oxfordshire that the managers of our girls teams are seeking a wider vision than the Bluebirds could support, given the strictures of our village infrastructure. So they are forming a girls-only Club in Blewbury (the ‘Blewbury Amazons’) that kicks-off from the beginning of next season. Whilst I’m truly gutted to see these wonderful girls depart the Bluebirds, on behalf of the Club, I wish the ‘Amazons all the very best for the future. The desire for girls teams at Bluebirds still does, however, burn bright, so if any parents and/or budding managers of potential girls teams wearing the Bluebirds Blues would like to get in touch to discuss opportunities, then call me anytime!
We’ve seen other changes in Club personnel during the season. After many years enthusing and inspiring the youngest members of our Bluebirds community, Glenn Hawkins is hanging up his spurs as the coach of our Rising Stars. That the Club has had a pipeline of great talent feeding into our teams is largely down to Glenn’s leadership and his ability to help grow enthusiasm for Bluebirds football in the kids he has coached and in their parents, who regularly take up the opportunity to coach into the U7s and then take teams into subsequent years. Huge thanks Glenn! The Club is now succession-planning to ensure that this invaluable pipeline of talent into the Club can continue into the future.
After many years of great service to our players wellbeing, Louise McAlister is also stepping down from the position of Welfare Officer at the end of this season, though Louise will be staying with us at the beginning of next season to help the handover to our new Club officer in this role. I cannot thank Louise enough for the care and diligence she has ably demonstrated in her role for the duration of my Chairmanship and indeed before my tenure. Every Club like ours needs a Louise, but not every Club is fortunate enough to have had a Louise as truly amazing as ours!
On the money front, we’re also saying a very fond farewell to our Treasurer Hayley Pike, who is handing the baton on to Claire Toal (yes, the surname is no coincidence – Claire is my wife). Hayley has been a total star and has had to deal with some of the most challenging financial backdrop we’ve had for years, due to the pandemic. Not least that our income has dropped significantly again because we had to cancel the Tournament. Hayley is leaving us in great shape though, and the Club says a massive thank you to Hayley for running a tight financial ship through tempestuous waters in this most atypical of years.
I would also like to say thank you to some other very important people, starting with the Parish Council and local residents in the village. It is fair to say that because of the big increase in teams and players this year, the intensity of fixtures when competitive football opened up again in May and because car-sharing was discouraged due to COVID-19, there has been a great deal of parking pressure in the village. I can but apologise if this has caused any inconvenience or disruption and say that for a number of reasons, we expect parking pressure to reduce in the new season. I look forward to working with the Parish Council and the wider community on this and all other aspects of village infrastructure on which we rely to provide great football for our players.
I say a big thank you to our sponsors, whose generosity has helped to keep the Club on an even keel during difficult times. We hope that you are as proud to be associated with us as we are of being associated with you. If you could continue your generosity into the new season, that would be hugely appreciated!
It gives me great pleasure to say a huge thanks to the managers, assistant managers and other valued colleagues who have formal roles in the Club Committee. I felt at times during the year that we were collectively engaged in a boxing match, fighting it out in a series of rounds against the impact of the pandemic on our football. If our opponent is Ivan Drago, then the Committee is definitely Rocky Balboa, and Rocky has played a blinder this year. I’m immensely proud of everyone on the Committee who have pulled together massively to help sustain the enthusiasm and commitment of our players during very challenging times. Enormous thanks all!
Big thanks to the Bluebirds parents, guardians and supporters of our players who have always been there throughout the season, through both ‘stop’ and ‘start’ phases – helping to manage the disappointment of our players when we were locked down and pulling out all the stops to ensure our players were up and running again in training and at fixtures when the Government and FA gave us the green light for restart. As always, your support is totally invaluable.
Finally, I say a massive thank you, on behalf of the Club, to all our players. You have been superstars all! You have patiently dealt with the downtimes (I’m sure helped along by Xboxes and the like!) and come back with energy and brilliant enthusiasm when training and matches were back on. This year has built your resilience - your ability to bounce back from difficulties - and I’m full of admiration for you and very proud to lead a Club with such great team-players as you. I look forward to seeing you out there next season!
It is also indeed a time to look forward. I have fingers crossed that next season, we will have a more complete and continuous season of fixtures, along with our usual Club events, including the Tournament and end of season presentation evening and less restrictions all round for our players, managers and supporters. We intend to also concentrate on various elements of our Club infrastructure, in a way that we didn’t quite manage this season because we were firefighting covid-related issues throughout the year. We’re going to be investing for the future and more on that in the coming months as we will need help from across our community to ensure that the Bluebirds continues to be a brilliant force for good in our community next year and beyond.
Stay safe & very best wishes everyone,
Mark Toal
Chairman of Cholsey Bluebirds FC
Dear Bluebirds Community,
I’m writing this with chants of ‘Footballs coming home’ still ringing in my ears after watching, on the TV last night, a masterful England beat Ukraine 4-0. What a performance! In the much-delayed Euro 2020 competition, the England squad is digging deep to make sure they play at their best and make their country proud.
In these strange times, I feel like we are all digging deep and dealing with the curveballs that have been volleyed at us since March last year. We’ve had another tough season, disrupted by COVID-19 and a brief scan down the ‘COVID news’ page on our Bluebirds website reminds me of how ‘start-stop’ the season has been, in light of the see-sawing guidance for grassroots football from central Government and the FA.
Our season started out well, with training and fixtures, albeit with social distancing restrictions on players, managers and spectators and the appearance of ‘QR’ codes at home and away. As the Autumn advanced, we grappled with ‘Tiers’ which made things increasingly uncertain for our football, then a second lockdown, followed, in January, by the third lockdown where grassroots football, along with many other elements of our lives, was put on hold for what felt like forever. We therefore started 2021 with no football and that’s the way it stayed for the early part of the year until, in March, training and friendlies were allowed to resume and in April, the Oxford Youth Football League started again in earnest. As I write this review, all the results of our season are still not in, because the season was extended so that those teams that wanted to (and felt safe to) could complete their fixtures.
Huge thanks have to go to Pete McAlister, who has acted as our COVID-19 safety lead on the Bluebirds Committee. As soon as the ink was dry on Pete’s risk assessments and advice to the Club and our wider footballing community, the rules seemed to change again and another version needed drafting. Many thanks for your resilience, Pete!
In March, we also took the very difficult decision to cancel, for a second year running, our Cholsey Bluebirds six-a-side tournament as we could not guarantee what the COVID-19 restrictions would look like in May and it would have represented a real waste of everyones efforts and Club resources if we undertook the considerable planning and preparation for the event, only to cancel at the last minute.
So our 2020/21 campaign has been a long one, seen through under extraordinary circumstances. I pay huge respect to all our players and their management teams for putting up with the downtimes and for the way they then leapt back into training and fixtures when the doors opened again to competitive football. Our players and managers have been nothing short of inspirational during these tough times and I am truly humbled to be at the helm of a Club with such enthusiastic, dedicated young (and some ‘less young’!) people who love their football with an abiding passion.
The Bluebirds have also seen some changes to our structure during the season. We are very proud to have supported a big increase in organised girls football over the past few years. At the beginning of last season, to help sustain this fantastic enthusiasm, we agreed a longer term vision to have a girls team at every age group throughout the Club. There is, however, so much of a clamour for girls football in South Oxfordshire that the managers of our girls teams are seeking a wider vision than the Bluebirds could support, given the strictures of our village infrastructure. So they are forming a girls-only Club in Blewbury (the ‘Blewbury Amazons’) that kicks-off from the beginning of next season. Whilst I’m truly gutted to see these wonderful girls depart the Bluebirds, on behalf of the Club, I wish the ‘Amazons all the very best for the future. The desire for girls teams at Bluebirds still does, however, burn bright, so if any parents and/or budding managers of potential girls teams wearing the Bluebirds Blues would like to get in touch to discuss opportunities, then call me anytime!
We’ve seen other changes in Club personnel during the season. After many years enthusing and inspiring the youngest members of our Bluebirds community, Glenn Hawkins is hanging up his spurs as the coach of our Rising Stars. That the Club has had a pipeline of great talent feeding into our teams is largely down to Glenn’s leadership and his ability to help grow enthusiasm for Bluebirds football in the kids he has coached and in their parents, who regularly take up the opportunity to coach into the U7s and then take teams into subsequent years. Huge thanks Glenn! The Club is now succession-planning to ensure that this invaluable pipeline of talent into the Club can continue into the future.
After many years of great service to our players wellbeing, Louise McAlister is also stepping down from the position of Welfare Officer at the end of this season, though Louise will be staying with us at the beginning of next season to help the handover to our new Club officer in this role. I cannot thank Louise enough for the care and diligence she has ably demonstrated in her role for the duration of my Chairmanship and indeed before my tenure. Every Club like ours needs a Louise, but not every Club is fortunate enough to have had a Louise as truly amazing as ours!
On the money front, we’re also saying a very fond farewell to our Treasurer Hayley Pike, who is handing the baton on to Claire Toal (yes, the surname is no coincidence – Claire is my wife). Hayley has been a total star and has had to deal with some of the most challenging financial backdrop we’ve had for years, due to the pandemic. Not least that our income has dropped significantly again because we had to cancel the Tournament. Hayley is leaving us in great shape though, and the Club says a massive thank you to Hayley for running a tight financial ship through tempestuous waters in this most atypical of years.
I would also like to say thank you to some other very important people, starting with the Parish Council and local residents in the village. It is fair to say that because of the big increase in teams and players this year, the intensity of fixtures when competitive football opened up again in May and because car-sharing was discouraged due to COVID-19, there has been a great deal of parking pressure in the village. I can but apologise if this has caused any inconvenience or disruption and say that for a number of reasons, we expect parking pressure to reduce in the new season. I look forward to working with the Parish Council and the wider community on this and all other aspects of village infrastructure on which we rely to provide great football for our players.
I say a big thank you to our sponsors, whose generosity has helped to keep the Club on an even keel during difficult times. We hope that you are as proud to be associated with us as we are of being associated with you. If you could continue your generosity into the new season, that would be hugely appreciated!
It gives me great pleasure to say a huge thanks to the managers, assistant managers and other valued colleagues who have formal roles in the Club Committee. I felt at times during the year that we were collectively engaged in a boxing match, fighting it out in a series of rounds against the impact of the pandemic on our football. If our opponent is Ivan Drago, then the Committee is definitely Rocky Balboa, and Rocky has played a blinder this year. I’m immensely proud of everyone on the Committee who have pulled together massively to help sustain the enthusiasm and commitment of our players during very challenging times. Enormous thanks all!
Big thanks to the Bluebirds parents, guardians and supporters of our players who have always been there throughout the season, through both ‘stop’ and ‘start’ phases – helping to manage the disappointment of our players when we were locked down and pulling out all the stops to ensure our players were up and running again in training and at fixtures when the Government and FA gave us the green light for restart. As always, your support is totally invaluable.
Finally, I say a massive thank you, on behalf of the Club, to all our players. You have been superstars all! You have patiently dealt with the downtimes (I’m sure helped along by Xboxes and the like!) and come back with energy and brilliant enthusiasm when training and matches were back on. This year has built your resilience - your ability to bounce back from difficulties - and I’m full of admiration for you and very proud to lead a Club with such great team-players as you. I look forward to seeing you out there next season!
It is also indeed a time to look forward. I have fingers crossed that next season, we will have a more complete and continuous season of fixtures, along with our usual Club events, including the Tournament and end of season presentation evening and less restrictions all round for our players, managers and supporters. We intend to also concentrate on various elements of our Club infrastructure, in a way that we didn’t quite manage this season because we were firefighting covid-related issues throughout the year. We’re going to be investing for the future and more on that in the coming months as we will need help from across our community to ensure that the Bluebirds continues to be a brilliant force for good in our community next year and beyond.
Stay safe & very best wishes everyone,
Mark Toal
Chairman of Cholsey Bluebirds FC
RISING STARS
Glenn Hawkins
WILDCATS (Girls)
Jermaine Webster
UNDER 7s
It is fair to say we didn’t have any pre-conceived ideas of what to expect as we embarked on our first season as coaches of the U7s with a new bunch of very keen and very excited young boys. Throw a global pandemic in for good measure and it has led to a very interesting and rewarding first season.
A lot has happened since our first game of the season back in September where the main challenge was to curb the boy’s excitement over finding a dead squirrel at the side of the pitch. The first few games were a bit of an eye opener as to the level of tactics employed by opposing teams at such a young age, and we were on the wrong end of a few results in the first part of the season.
From the start, Warren and I agreed that the two main principles for everyone would be equal game time and to develop their confidence on the ball by encouraging as many touches of the ball as possible. It is fair to say we have stuck by that and it has been truly rewarding to see how every one of the 14 boys have developed individually and towards being part of a team.
A big thank you to the parents and supporters who help make this special for the boys and only adds to their experience and enjoyment as well as taking some of the pressure of Warren and myself.
Gareth Barefield & Warren Ainsworth
UNDER 8s Blue Team
It has been a challenging, start/stop season for all the players but their commitment and enthusiasm has been incredible. Following a successful Autumn 2020 on the pitch (5 wins out of 7 matches played and runners-up in the cup), the team was promoted and pitted themselves against some very good teams from around the county. The second half of the season was delayed until April but the team came back raring to go. A couple of victories early in the season reflected both the spirit and individual ability within the team who did themselves proud in a very tough league.
We are all very excited about the step up to 7 a-side next season and the chance to develop the players further. With a couple of new signings joining us, we’re looking forward to the challenges ahead and hoping for a more “normal” season!
Jonathan Swindell
UNDER 8s White Team
A dramatic and exciting first full season has come to an end, albeit a start stop one but none the less it has been thoroughly enjoyable.
We started the new campaign in division D after securing promotion in the first season of the Whites being formed.
Instantly it was noticeable that the standard of football in this division was at a higher level as we were not afforded the time on the ball and the opposing teams were far more clinical.
However, we ended the winter/spring campaign with 2 loses and 5 wins meaning we finished within the top 2. Securing back to back promotions.
With covid still very much prominent at this stage we played a much-changed trophy event, making the final but before we could play this we were plunged into another lockdown.
Once the go ahead was given to return to football the first game to be played was out trophy event final against Abingdon which we lost 4-1. A game which had come to soon after restrictions were eased with no training or preparation being afforded.
This seemed to spur the team on as we started the Autumn campaign in division C where we went unbeaten winning 6 and drawing 1, securing our third straight promotion. An amazing and inspiring achievement.
We now look forward to playing in Division B under the new format of 7v7 when the season restarts.
Each player has been an absolute pleasure to coach this year and they have worked so hard under challenging conditions and I can’t wait to see them progress going forward.
Thank you to all the parents, friends & family for their continued support and encouragement.
Bring on the 2021/22 campaign.
Michael Pitchers
UNDER 8s Girls
Paul Ballard
UNDER 9s
After an up and down year, the boys started the Autumn season in the B league. It soon became apparent the standard of football in this league was very high, and although they worked their little socks off they only managed one win before the next lock down. They started the spring campaign in the C league and after a wobbly start, losing the first two games, they went on to win the next six games in the row, scoring 30 goals in the process. Bring on the new season!
Simon Powis
UNDER 10s Blue Team
A crazy season like no other due to the pandemic turned out to be our most successful since we began our journey as under 7’s!
We played in a very good standard B league which saw us start off with 3 wins and a draw from our first 6 games before the first lockdown!
Then before the second lockdown we did incredibly well to get to the cup final!
The season re-start saw us win the cup final and start a fantastic league run of 4 wins and a draw earning promotion to the A league for next season!
Nick and I are so proud of the boys who gave their all every week improving every game as a team!
We thank our sponsor Thames construction, our parents for continued help and support, and our fantastic referee Andy Lewis!
We look forward to the challenges of the new season stepping up to 9-a-side!
Nick Gesner & Adrian Lee
UNDER 10s White Team
The team have developed into a really strong, close knit group over the course of the year. They continue to make us proud and despite the interrupted year of football their game has continued to improve. The players are much more aware of the game around them, allowing for some great passing leading to some exciting goal scores over the season.
Our early games of the Autumn league were tough on the team as due to injuries we were only able to field the required seven players for our first few games. We played hard but against teams that could bring on subs we lost several games in the latter parts of the second half when fatigue took its toil. Once we were back to full strength with injured players back on the field we settled into a good season. The stamina learnt in those early games played off, in a tough game in poor weather against Didcot Casuals Blue winning us the end of season Trophy.
The start of the Spring league was delayed by Covid lockdown, meaning that our supporters had less need for those thermal waterproofs this year! When the season did start in April, the team did well given the lack of training wining our first match and continuing with a streak of wins, draws and a few losses closing the season proudly.
Throughout the season all the players worked hard, whether at training, during matches or whilst on the bench waiting their turn and they all deserve our thanks. It has been great to see them support each other and develop further as team.
We say goodbye to our sponsors Rowse Honey, who’s generosity meant that our team could be formed for which we are hugely grateful, and we look forward to welcoming a new sponsor next season.
Thank you to our managers & coaches for providing a consistent approach to developing rounded players, both in skills and attitude. A particular challenge on the cold, wet training nights at Hithercroft!
As always a final note of thanks to parents, grandparents, siblings and others for the support and encouragement you provide the both players and the club. Onwards to the 21/22 season and the introduction to the off-side rule!
Chris Andrews & Neil Davis
UNDER 10s Girls
The girls have made excellent progress this year. Most of our players were new to competitive football and it has been fantastic to see the skills and knowledge of the game improve steadily as the season progressed. From a match point of view, the highlight was our first victory away to Banbury. In the end of season knockout competitions, we reached the semi-final of the Shield Competition, where we lost to a very well organised Launton Ladies side.
Thank you to all the players for their hard work and commitment and to the parents for all their support.
Finally, extra thanks to Nick for his help with training this year.
Mark Smith
UNDER 11s
We began the Autumn season in the B league, and after a tough start resulting in three opening defeats, we won our last four games and really got to grips with the new formation (9-a-side), bigger pitch and longer matches. We continued in the B league for the Winter / Spring season and carried our momentum forward, winning our opening four games of the season to make it eight wins on the bounce over the two seasons. We lost game five, but responded well with a draw, followed by a win, and should be promoted as a result. This means that in the four years since we started our team at Cholsey, we will have progressed from the bottom league (G), all the way through to the A league. This is huge achievement by the players and is testament to their hard work, commitment and team spirit...well done boys! Thank you also to the parents for their tremendous support, especially throughout a difficult, fragmented year.
Neil Carter
UNDER 11s Girls Blue Team
Jermaine Webster
UNDER 11s Girls Royals Team
Mark Holtom & Matt Leach
UNDER 12s
So the Season began after Lockdown take 1, with the boys returning with longer locks/mops and deeper voices!!
We started the season in the C League, winning 3, drawing 1 and with 1 loss. We headed into the last game needing a win or draw to take our first League Title!! We were up against Bure Park, who were in 2nd, so we knew this was going to be tight all the way to the end!
We took a 2-0 lead and kept this until the last 5 minutes, when Bure scored 2 quickfire goals! Duncan and I were enduring the most nervous 2 minutes of our coaching careers, but the boys managed to hold on and our first League Title as a squad was confirmed!! What an amazing achievement by all the boys, well deserved!!
Lockdown Take 2 then hit and delayed the start of the Autumn/Spring B League.
Eventually we started mid April and faced some tough, well drilled sides, who on occasions we struggled against, but always battled!! And it was that one word that carried us through all our games, finishing in a very respectful 5th place. This again is a massive achievement for all the boys!
So we now move to Under 13s, again a move up in pitch / goal size and an additional 2 players. So the boys will have to adapt to this, which I'm sure they will.
Myself and Duncan would like to thank all the boys for their continued commitment and effort, long may it continue!
We would also like to thank the parents and their extended families for their continued support, which without myself and Duncan would struggle to keep the squad together!!
And lastly from me, cheers Dunc, let's do it again!!
Mark Reeves
UNDER 13s
We began the autumn season in C league and after a few tricky matches ended up mid-table ahead of the Christmas break. We decided not to enter the post-lockdown Spring league, choosing instead to invest in training to the squad match-fit and have now finished our 2020/21 season completely, ready to start again where we left off from the Autumn 2021/22 season.
Thanks as always go to my right-hand man Rich, to Club Chairman Mark, all the club officers, and the parents who've help set up, take down, run the lines and bring us the occasional cup of tea.
Tom Barker
GIRLS U14s
With Covid resulting in the cancellation of the summer tournaments the girls were so looking forward to, I was unsure how many of the girls would return to training this season. Fortunately, a solid core have maintained their commitment to football (as well as juggling their many other activities). They have continued to work hard and chat harder! It has been great to see them continue to learn and improve their footballing skills, whilst having fun at the same time. We are all looking forward to next season, whatever it may bring!
Beth Reeves
UNDER 14s
We have had a very tough season in the A league. Not only have many teams from around the area combined into one team but we have also had a few others join from the surrounding counties. We knew it was going to be tough and that to remain in the A league we were going to have to beat the teams in and around our level. This seemed to be going well enough, but our league had two teams drop out due to the pandemic and the gulf in class compared to the top of the division. So, with only 8 teams left and some unlucky results / forfeiting of games we sadly went down. This is however a big plus as we will be able to play in a league that is more suited to our situation and work on those things that we don’t normally have time to in the A league. We also are getting a few extra players and we can use this time to gel them into the team and get some important momentum back.
Mike Collins
UNDER 15s
No team – folded at the end of the previous season.
UNDER 16s
New season, new division after promotion from the D League was achieved the previous year. The season started fairly well with 4 points from our first two games but then for no apparent reason we hit a sticky patch with several defeats on the trot, which knocked our confidence. By the time, the Covid lockdown occurred in mid-December we had a record of won 2, draw 1, lost 4 which put us lower mid table, sadly that would be our highest position for the remainder of the campaign. A collection of circumstances saw us finish the season with just 1 draw and 6 defeats which had us finish bottom of the league. I think generally when you finish last it is because you were not good enough, but I have a lot of sympathy for the lads as injures (seven players out at one point and a game abandoned for a dislocated knee), poor form and a disrupted GCSE year all had a bearing on how we finished.
As per normal I would like to thank the players for working hard for the whole season, parents for their support and Ben Davies for helping me.
Pete McAlister
UNDER 17s
What a great season the boys have had : W10 D5 L3 Goals 58/34 : finishing 3rd in the League just 1pt behind 2nd place and 3 behind 1st. Had we won 2 of our 5 drawn matches (one when we were 6-2 up with just 20 minutes left) we would have finished top – but that’s football for you. It’s been a learning experience for us all at times, including me.
With the addition of 2 new quality players back in September and 2 more during the season, together with those already established and much improved availability, the whole team has really developed into an attacking force who on their day, can match any team in the League. We had the best defensive record and the top and fourth best goal-scorers in the division with 25 and 18 goals respectively.
However, the really excellent news is that at least 16 of the squad of 19 wish to carry on for one more year as U18s, so, hopefully, my last and 13th year involvement as a manager with Cholsey Bluebirds will be an even more memorable one . . . 13 is my lucky number !
The 100% commitment, enthusiasm, determination, high skill level and above all, excellent sportsmanship from EVERY player, has made me a very proud manager indeed. The boys have been a credit to themselves, the Team and the Club.
I would also once again thank all my parents for their equally impressive commitment, enthusiasm and support throughout this very long season – I hope you all feel it has been worthwhile . . . I certainly do.
Dave Evans
UNDER 18s
Andy Chapman
Glenn Hawkins
WILDCATS (Girls)
Jermaine Webster
UNDER 7s
It is fair to say we didn’t have any pre-conceived ideas of what to expect as we embarked on our first season as coaches of the U7s with a new bunch of very keen and very excited young boys. Throw a global pandemic in for good measure and it has led to a very interesting and rewarding first season.
A lot has happened since our first game of the season back in September where the main challenge was to curb the boy’s excitement over finding a dead squirrel at the side of the pitch. The first few games were a bit of an eye opener as to the level of tactics employed by opposing teams at such a young age, and we were on the wrong end of a few results in the first part of the season.
From the start, Warren and I agreed that the two main principles for everyone would be equal game time and to develop their confidence on the ball by encouraging as many touches of the ball as possible. It is fair to say we have stuck by that and it has been truly rewarding to see how every one of the 14 boys have developed individually and towards being part of a team.
A big thank you to the parents and supporters who help make this special for the boys and only adds to their experience and enjoyment as well as taking some of the pressure of Warren and myself.
Gareth Barefield & Warren Ainsworth
UNDER 8s Blue Team
It has been a challenging, start/stop season for all the players but their commitment and enthusiasm has been incredible. Following a successful Autumn 2020 on the pitch (5 wins out of 7 matches played and runners-up in the cup), the team was promoted and pitted themselves against some very good teams from around the county. The second half of the season was delayed until April but the team came back raring to go. A couple of victories early in the season reflected both the spirit and individual ability within the team who did themselves proud in a very tough league.
We are all very excited about the step up to 7 a-side next season and the chance to develop the players further. With a couple of new signings joining us, we’re looking forward to the challenges ahead and hoping for a more “normal” season!
Jonathan Swindell
UNDER 8s White Team
A dramatic and exciting first full season has come to an end, albeit a start stop one but none the less it has been thoroughly enjoyable.
We started the new campaign in division D after securing promotion in the first season of the Whites being formed.
Instantly it was noticeable that the standard of football in this division was at a higher level as we were not afforded the time on the ball and the opposing teams were far more clinical.
However, we ended the winter/spring campaign with 2 loses and 5 wins meaning we finished within the top 2. Securing back to back promotions.
With covid still very much prominent at this stage we played a much-changed trophy event, making the final but before we could play this we were plunged into another lockdown.
Once the go ahead was given to return to football the first game to be played was out trophy event final against Abingdon which we lost 4-1. A game which had come to soon after restrictions were eased with no training or preparation being afforded.
This seemed to spur the team on as we started the Autumn campaign in division C where we went unbeaten winning 6 and drawing 1, securing our third straight promotion. An amazing and inspiring achievement.
We now look forward to playing in Division B under the new format of 7v7 when the season restarts.
Each player has been an absolute pleasure to coach this year and they have worked so hard under challenging conditions and I can’t wait to see them progress going forward.
Thank you to all the parents, friends & family for their continued support and encouragement.
Bring on the 2021/22 campaign.
Michael Pitchers
UNDER 8s Girls
Paul Ballard
UNDER 9s
After an up and down year, the boys started the Autumn season in the B league. It soon became apparent the standard of football in this league was very high, and although they worked their little socks off they only managed one win before the next lock down. They started the spring campaign in the C league and after a wobbly start, losing the first two games, they went on to win the next six games in the row, scoring 30 goals in the process. Bring on the new season!
Simon Powis
UNDER 10s Blue Team
A crazy season like no other due to the pandemic turned out to be our most successful since we began our journey as under 7’s!
We played in a very good standard B league which saw us start off with 3 wins and a draw from our first 6 games before the first lockdown!
Then before the second lockdown we did incredibly well to get to the cup final!
The season re-start saw us win the cup final and start a fantastic league run of 4 wins and a draw earning promotion to the A league for next season!
Nick and I are so proud of the boys who gave their all every week improving every game as a team!
We thank our sponsor Thames construction, our parents for continued help and support, and our fantastic referee Andy Lewis!
We look forward to the challenges of the new season stepping up to 9-a-side!
Nick Gesner & Adrian Lee
UNDER 10s White Team
The team have developed into a really strong, close knit group over the course of the year. They continue to make us proud and despite the interrupted year of football their game has continued to improve. The players are much more aware of the game around them, allowing for some great passing leading to some exciting goal scores over the season.
Our early games of the Autumn league were tough on the team as due to injuries we were only able to field the required seven players for our first few games. We played hard but against teams that could bring on subs we lost several games in the latter parts of the second half when fatigue took its toil. Once we were back to full strength with injured players back on the field we settled into a good season. The stamina learnt in those early games played off, in a tough game in poor weather against Didcot Casuals Blue winning us the end of season Trophy.
The start of the Spring league was delayed by Covid lockdown, meaning that our supporters had less need for those thermal waterproofs this year! When the season did start in April, the team did well given the lack of training wining our first match and continuing with a streak of wins, draws and a few losses closing the season proudly.
Throughout the season all the players worked hard, whether at training, during matches or whilst on the bench waiting their turn and they all deserve our thanks. It has been great to see them support each other and develop further as team.
We say goodbye to our sponsors Rowse Honey, who’s generosity meant that our team could be formed for which we are hugely grateful, and we look forward to welcoming a new sponsor next season.
Thank you to our managers & coaches for providing a consistent approach to developing rounded players, both in skills and attitude. A particular challenge on the cold, wet training nights at Hithercroft!
As always a final note of thanks to parents, grandparents, siblings and others for the support and encouragement you provide the both players and the club. Onwards to the 21/22 season and the introduction to the off-side rule!
Chris Andrews & Neil Davis
UNDER 10s Girls
The girls have made excellent progress this year. Most of our players were new to competitive football and it has been fantastic to see the skills and knowledge of the game improve steadily as the season progressed. From a match point of view, the highlight was our first victory away to Banbury. In the end of season knockout competitions, we reached the semi-final of the Shield Competition, where we lost to a very well organised Launton Ladies side.
Thank you to all the players for their hard work and commitment and to the parents for all their support.
Finally, extra thanks to Nick for his help with training this year.
Mark Smith
UNDER 11s
We began the Autumn season in the B league, and after a tough start resulting in three opening defeats, we won our last four games and really got to grips with the new formation (9-a-side), bigger pitch and longer matches. We continued in the B league for the Winter / Spring season and carried our momentum forward, winning our opening four games of the season to make it eight wins on the bounce over the two seasons. We lost game five, but responded well with a draw, followed by a win, and should be promoted as a result. This means that in the four years since we started our team at Cholsey, we will have progressed from the bottom league (G), all the way through to the A league. This is huge achievement by the players and is testament to their hard work, commitment and team spirit...well done boys! Thank you also to the parents for their tremendous support, especially throughout a difficult, fragmented year.
Neil Carter
UNDER 11s Girls Blue Team
Jermaine Webster
UNDER 11s Girls Royals Team
Mark Holtom & Matt Leach
UNDER 12s
So the Season began after Lockdown take 1, with the boys returning with longer locks/mops and deeper voices!!
We started the season in the C League, winning 3, drawing 1 and with 1 loss. We headed into the last game needing a win or draw to take our first League Title!! We were up against Bure Park, who were in 2nd, so we knew this was going to be tight all the way to the end!
We took a 2-0 lead and kept this until the last 5 minutes, when Bure scored 2 quickfire goals! Duncan and I were enduring the most nervous 2 minutes of our coaching careers, but the boys managed to hold on and our first League Title as a squad was confirmed!! What an amazing achievement by all the boys, well deserved!!
Lockdown Take 2 then hit and delayed the start of the Autumn/Spring B League.
Eventually we started mid April and faced some tough, well drilled sides, who on occasions we struggled against, but always battled!! And it was that one word that carried us through all our games, finishing in a very respectful 5th place. This again is a massive achievement for all the boys!
So we now move to Under 13s, again a move up in pitch / goal size and an additional 2 players. So the boys will have to adapt to this, which I'm sure they will.
Myself and Duncan would like to thank all the boys for their continued commitment and effort, long may it continue!
We would also like to thank the parents and their extended families for their continued support, which without myself and Duncan would struggle to keep the squad together!!
And lastly from me, cheers Dunc, let's do it again!!
Mark Reeves
UNDER 13s
We began the autumn season in C league and after a few tricky matches ended up mid-table ahead of the Christmas break. We decided not to enter the post-lockdown Spring league, choosing instead to invest in training to the squad match-fit and have now finished our 2020/21 season completely, ready to start again where we left off from the Autumn 2021/22 season.
Thanks as always go to my right-hand man Rich, to Club Chairman Mark, all the club officers, and the parents who've help set up, take down, run the lines and bring us the occasional cup of tea.
Tom Barker
GIRLS U14s
With Covid resulting in the cancellation of the summer tournaments the girls were so looking forward to, I was unsure how many of the girls would return to training this season. Fortunately, a solid core have maintained their commitment to football (as well as juggling their many other activities). They have continued to work hard and chat harder! It has been great to see them continue to learn and improve their footballing skills, whilst having fun at the same time. We are all looking forward to next season, whatever it may bring!
Beth Reeves
UNDER 14s
We have had a very tough season in the A league. Not only have many teams from around the area combined into one team but we have also had a few others join from the surrounding counties. We knew it was going to be tough and that to remain in the A league we were going to have to beat the teams in and around our level. This seemed to be going well enough, but our league had two teams drop out due to the pandemic and the gulf in class compared to the top of the division. So, with only 8 teams left and some unlucky results / forfeiting of games we sadly went down. This is however a big plus as we will be able to play in a league that is more suited to our situation and work on those things that we don’t normally have time to in the A league. We also are getting a few extra players and we can use this time to gel them into the team and get some important momentum back.
Mike Collins
UNDER 15s
No team – folded at the end of the previous season.
UNDER 16s
New season, new division after promotion from the D League was achieved the previous year. The season started fairly well with 4 points from our first two games but then for no apparent reason we hit a sticky patch with several defeats on the trot, which knocked our confidence. By the time, the Covid lockdown occurred in mid-December we had a record of won 2, draw 1, lost 4 which put us lower mid table, sadly that would be our highest position for the remainder of the campaign. A collection of circumstances saw us finish the season with just 1 draw and 6 defeats which had us finish bottom of the league. I think generally when you finish last it is because you were not good enough, but I have a lot of sympathy for the lads as injures (seven players out at one point and a game abandoned for a dislocated knee), poor form and a disrupted GCSE year all had a bearing on how we finished.
As per normal I would like to thank the players for working hard for the whole season, parents for their support and Ben Davies for helping me.
Pete McAlister
UNDER 17s
What a great season the boys have had : W10 D5 L3 Goals 58/34 : finishing 3rd in the League just 1pt behind 2nd place and 3 behind 1st. Had we won 2 of our 5 drawn matches (one when we were 6-2 up with just 20 minutes left) we would have finished top – but that’s football for you. It’s been a learning experience for us all at times, including me.
With the addition of 2 new quality players back in September and 2 more during the season, together with those already established and much improved availability, the whole team has really developed into an attacking force who on their day, can match any team in the League. We had the best defensive record and the top and fourth best goal-scorers in the division with 25 and 18 goals respectively.
However, the really excellent news is that at least 16 of the squad of 19 wish to carry on for one more year as U18s, so, hopefully, my last and 13th year involvement as a manager with Cholsey Bluebirds will be an even more memorable one . . . 13 is my lucky number !
The 100% commitment, enthusiasm, determination, high skill level and above all, excellent sportsmanship from EVERY player, has made me a very proud manager indeed. The boys have been a credit to themselves, the Team and the Club.
I would also once again thank all my parents for their equally impressive commitment, enthusiasm and support throughout this very long season – I hope you all feel it has been worthwhile . . . I certainly do.
Dave Evans
UNDER 18s
Andy Chapman
Posted 6th August 2021
Dave Evans
Dave Evans
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